U.S. Pat. No. 5,768,991 describes a label printer for printing on liner-free labels having a single label path onto which a printhead prints indicia and the like on the front side of the label, and then downstream along the path a brush moistens an adhesive coating prior to exiting the printer. This requires two separate mechanisms, one for printing and another for adhesive activation. It would be desirable to provide a printer which unlike this patent does not require two separate mechanism, but the same mechanism which can provide both printing and then adhesive activation.